South Asia update

South Asia Update
What a great day it has been! Again, we had many opportunities to minister in the name of our Lord Jesus. As we get ready to close out Awana's leadership training to South Asia missionaries I can't help but think about the theme God has put in my heart, "It's about reaching the children. There are sooooo many children!" I heard many times this week about the 4-14 window. We all have heard about 10/40 window, reaching the geographical area that has been closed to the gospel for so long, but the 4-14 window was totally foreign to me. It is the age group that is specifically targeted inside the 10-40 window, children and youth being reached for Jesus Christ. Obviously Awana is a perfect ministry to help the churches of South Asia reach their 4-14 widow.

We had a couple of hours of free time and went on a Safari. Lions, tigers, and bears! Lions , tigers, and bears! Want a fun time we had as Matthew, Awana missionary from Deli, was our guide. He kept Steve and I in stitches with his practical joking. Matthew is a godly single young man who works at the national office for India.

Last night we had a closing banquet for the missionaries. We had a great time of fellowship and sharing how God has worked in our lives the last few weeks. We had a cultural dinner and I can describe the food with two words, spicy and zesty! Its like dynamite between two pieces of bread with hot sauce! The cooks at the ministry compound looked out for Steve and I and made sure we had something to put the fire out. Seriously, the food was very good and I may put on a few pounds.

This morning we met with two missionaries that have a much needed ministry in South Asia. Doug Harstine and Rajpal Bhatkar of Faith Comes by Hearing ministries are committed to reaching the nations with the Word of God in Audio, offering the Bible in a format that will connect with the world's 50% illiterate population. To accomplish this enormous task, the Lord has assembled a group of committed leaders and dedicated servants of His Word to develop into a reality the vision of bringing His church together and making disciples. This bible audio box is powered with four different options built right in to the box; electrical, battery, solar, or by hand crank. It never runs out of juice!

I have to go for now. It's tea time! Till next time, may God be with you.

South Asia update

Report from South Asia
Yesterday was a busy and awesome day in Bangalore, India. It started off bright and early with devotion and leadership training at the Awana South Asia training with missionaries from all over the region. Then it was off to a church that Compassion International was sponsoring in a poverty stricken area in Bangalore. Awana and Compassion have a great partnership in this area. Compassion has started Awana clubs in the area and they're making an incredible impact in the lives of children and youth. Compassion has an after school program out of this church were they teach the youth proper hygiene and biblical principles. They also provide a great meal and of course a full Awana program. Compassion is very detailed in their labor with a stat sheet on every child so they may be sponsored by the more fortunate people of the world. It is great to see how this type of ministry is making an impact in the community. The pastor shared with me how twenty years earlier when his father pastored the church and Compassion Intl. began the sponsorship that the community was like Sodom and was morally bankrupt. But over the years the children's biblical lifestyle rubbed off on their parents and change slowly took place. Now those children in the beginning are now parents themselves and have their children in a biblical atmosphere. A whole new generation has emerged that is hearing about Jesus. We had the blessing of sharing the gospel with about 200 youth and many were saved. Rest assured Compassion was following up as soon as we were finished.

It was off to Baptist Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in Bangalore to meet up with a couple who have a mission near the hospital and we followed them to Rahab's Rope headquarters. This is a much needed ministry in the area to prostitutes. Rahab’s Rope Women’s Center is a place that provides food, shelter and protection; a place of education and training; a place where the whole person is ministered to spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and financially. It is a place of hope, a place of transformed lives. It was founded in 2004 by Vicki Moore who is a member of Riverside Baptist Church in Gainesville, Ga. The Moore's said their vision is simple, "Rahab’s Rope is to give hope and opportunity to women and girls that have been forced into the commercial sex trade of India by providing a safe and loving environment that will enable them to grow and develop both physically and spiritually". Most of the ministry is funded by clothes and jewelry that the ladies learned through classes at the center. It is then brought back to Gainesville in a shop called Rahab's Rope on Bradford St. on the square in Gainesville. The money made at the store all goes back to running the ministry in Bangalore. Ladies of Hebron I implore you to go shopping at Rahab's Rope. It is quality Stuff!

I'll keep in touch!!

South Asia Update

Awana International Partnership
Five years ago there were less than 400 clubs/churches with with Awana children's ministry working in all of South Asia. Hebron members and Awana missionaries Steve and Debra Cohoon took their calling of reaching children for Christ to South Asia. Steve and I were traveling through Bangalore yesterday heading to appointments and there were kids everywhere you looked. Steve looking out the window said, "This is why I am here. You can't help but fall in love with these beautiful children. They need to learn about Jesus". Steve is the Director of South Asia were there are now 2,911 Awana Clubs and over 193,000 children that have already been reached in the past five years. But that is not even a drop in the bucket when you realize in the city of Bangalore itself has over 13 million citizens!

So what's been the difference? Leadership! "The new leader based strategy of ministry has allowed us to see God multiply the ministry in an area of the world that God is opening to the Gospel of Jesus Christ". There's right now 20 full time faith missionaries in South Asia (11 in India, 5 in Nepal, and 4 in Bangladesh). These missionaries are all from their perspective countries (not American missionaries) gathered in the city of Bangalore for three weeks of intensive leadership training.

Awana's vision is to keep multiplying leaders and clubs. "We plan to implement the Leadership Based Strategy in Sri Lanka (4 clubs have already started that have reached 270 children already) and Bhutan in 2010. We hope to see over 100 clubs/churches using Awana as an evangelistic tool in each of these countries by the end of the year".

You can make a difference on this side of the world by going with Hebron this summer to India and Nepal. Begin to pray today about what part you will play in reaching the children of South Asia for Christ.

Hello from South Asia!
I just wanted to give a small report from Banglore, India. It's 75 and sunny with low humidity! But truly the story here is about the children. There are so many children and they love to come to church. AWANA is reaching India for Christ one child at a time and their parents are one step behind following Christ also. I had the honor of preaching Sunday morning at one church and going to an Awana club at another church in the evening with South Asia Awana director and friend Steve Cahoon. He is doing an incredible job training Awana missionaries on this side of the world. This morning I had the blessing to do the devotion at the South Asia Awana International Mission Training Conference. I will send more pictures and updates soon.